(Image source from: The Indian Express)

In the lead of the trust vote against the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government, Indian National Congress President Rahul Gandhi attacked the Prime Minister on lack of jobs and PM Modi's pre-poll commitment of depositing Rs. 15 lakh in bank accounts of poverty-stricken.

Gandhi said that PM fooled the masses when he said that 2 crore jobs will be created every year while only 4 lakh jobs have been created so far. Taking on the BJP-led government for not bringing in petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said,

"GST was brought by the Congress party. You had opposed GST as Gujarat CM." He added that small businesses have been hit by this tax regime.

The Congress President as well attacked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for falsely claiming that there was a secrecy pact between India and France. "Defence Minister said that she will disclose the price of Rafale in public. Then she backtracked claiming that India and France have a secrecy pact. I then spoke to French President who said there is no such pact between India and France," Gandhi said.

PM Modi works only for 10-20 businessmen and not for the common man, Gandhi said.

Gandhi claimed that PM must inform why Rafale to offset contract was taken away from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and given to a private company. "A businessmen who have not built a single airplane in his life and has a debt of Rs 35,000 crore was given the Rafale deal because of his relationship with a PM."

The BJP-led regime is hoped-for to have a smooth sailing when it faces the initial no-confidence motion since it came to power in 2014. While the odds are built in favor of the government, Opposition is trying its best to guarantee that this becomes other show of unity ahead of the general election in 2019. The Opposition is too expected to corner the government on issues like lynching, jobs, economy and black money among others.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked its MPs to abstain from the no-confidence motion. "It's a decision of our party president. We are technical with the NDA," Sanjay Raut said. "Our party MPs won't go to Parliament, we will stay neutral," he said.

In a House of 534 MPs, the National Democratic Alliance has 313 members - 274 (including the Speaker) of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and four from Shiromani Akali Dal. The majority mark in the House is 268. There are 11 vacancies. The stated strength of the Opposition is 222, including 63 of the Congress-led UPA, 37 of AIADMK, 34 of TMC, 20 BJD, 16 TDP and 11 TRS.

Rahul Gandhi walks up to Prime Minister and hugs him.

By Sowmya Sangam